Endoscopic image processing apparatus, endoscopic image processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

An endoscopic image processing apparatus is configured to generate a display image including one main screen and one or more sub-screens smaller than the main screen for displaying an endoscopic image obtained by picking up an image of an object in a subject with an endoscope. The endoscopic image processing apparatus includes a processor. The processor receives the endoscopic image and detects one or more lesion candidate regions included in the endoscopic image, highlights a position of the lesion candidate region, and sets, based on any one of a state of the lesion candidate region, a work state of a user who performs work using the endoscope, or a display state of the display image, a highlighting method in highlighting a position of the lesion candidate region included in at least one of the main screen or the sub-screen.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An endoscopic image processing apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor comprising hardware and configured to:
 generate a main image generated based on an endoscopic image; 
 generate a sub-image generated based on the endoscopic image; 
 determine a candidate region in the endoscopic image; 
 generate a sub-marker indicating the candidate region in the sub-image; and 
 generate a user interface having an image including the main image, the sub-image, and the sub-marker. 
   
     
     
         2 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 generate a main marker indicating the candidate region in the main image; and   wherein the image of the user interface further includes the main marker being different from the sub-marker.   
     
     
         3 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the main marker is overlaid on the main image to indicate the candidate region in the main image. 
     
     
         4 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the main marker is provided around a periphery of the main image. 
     
     
         5 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the main marker indicates a position of the candidate region in the main image. 
     
     
         6 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the candidate region includes a first candidate portion and a second candidate portion,
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 determine whether a distance between the first candidate portion and the second candidate portion is smaller than a predetermined distance; 
 in response to determining the distance is smaller than the predetermined distance, cause the main marker to collectively indicate positions of the first and the second candidate portions and cause the sub-marker to individually indicate the positions; and 
 in response to determining the distance is not smaller than the predetermined distance, cause the main marker to individually indicate the positions, and cause the sub-marker to individually indicate the positions. 
   
     
     
         7 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sub-marker is overlaid on the sub-image to indicate the candidate region in the sub-image. 
     
     
         8 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sub-image is a copy of the main image. 
     
     
         9 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sub-image corresponds to the main image. 
     
     
         10 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause a display to display the user interface. 
     
     
         11 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 determine whether a metric of the candidate region is more or less than a predetermined threshold;   in response to determining the metric is more than the predetermined threshold, determine the sub-marker at a first level; and   in response to determining the metric is less than the predetermined threshold, determine the sub-marker at a second level being different from the first level.   
     
     
         12 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the metric is determined based on at least one of:
 a type of a lesion included in the candidate region;   a size of the candidate region in the endoscopic image;   a position of the candidate region in the endoscopic image;   a texture and a shape of the candidate region;   a strength of an edge in a boundary portion of the candidate region; or   a color of the candidate region.   
     
     
         13 . The endoscopic image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the metric indicates how likely an observer of the endoscopic image would find the candidate region in the endoscopic image. 
     
     
         14 . A method of an endoscopic image processing, the method comprising:
 generating a main image based on an endoscopic image;   generating a sub-image based on the endoscopic image;   determining a candidate region in the endoscopic image;   generating a sub-marker indicating the candidate region in the sub-image; and   generating a user interface having an image including the main image, the sub-image, and the sub-marker.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 generating a main marker indicating the candidate region in the main image; and   wherein the image of the user interface further includes the main marker being different from the sub-marker.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the generating the user interface includes providing the main marker around a periphery of the main image. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein generating the sub-image includes corresponding the sub-image to the main image. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining whether a metric of the candidate region is more or less than a predetermined threshold;   in response to determining the metric is more than the predetermined threshold, determining the sub-marker at a first level; and   in response to determining the metric is less than the predetermined threshold, determining the sub-marker at a second level being different from the first level.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the determining of the metric is determined based on at least one of:
 a type of a lesion included in the candidate region;   a size of the candidate region in the endoscopic image;   a position of the candidate region in the endoscopic image;   a texture and a shape of the candidate region;   a strength of an edge in a boundary portion of the candidate region; or   a color of the candidate region.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the determining of the metric indicates how likely an observer of the endoscopic image would find the candidate region in the endoscopic image.